All Quiet In The Grimaldi Front
by Fatherz
Summary: ...But it was within that one month that a few heroes and legends soared. Most noted was the one who would soon be called Hawk of Endymion, the ace mobile armor pilot Mu La Flaga. Reedited everything from Prologue to Phase 2. No noticeable changes though.
1. Prologue

**Note:** The following fanfic details the events that happened in the Grimaldi Front battle, which as far as I know is only a passing reference in Gundam SEED. Don't expect Gundams to make an appearance as this happened a few years before the events in Gundam SEED.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any characters, events, places, or objects mentioned in this fic that belongs to the company who made Gundam SEED. If ever a character does not go by the name of Mu La Flaga and/or Rau Le Creuset, then that character would be my original creation. Ask permission before you use them please.

"words"

_'thoughts'_

_"radio/intercom/comm line"_

* * *

**_Cosmic Era, Year 70..._**

At the height of the war between the Naturals and Coordinators, the Coordinator aligned Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty or ZAFT began its lunar offensive campaign against the Earth Alliance Forces.

The objective of the ZAFT forces is to either capture or destroy the Ptolemaeus Lunar Base controlled by the Alliance forces. Although outnumbered and with the majority of the Earth Fleet present in this base, ZAFT commanders are confident in taking control of this important location.

A success in fulfilling this campaign would ensure the halt of Alliance invasions on the PLANTs as well as gaining a foothold for the earth offensive campaign, which is currently being revised with the failure of the Victoria campaign.

The operation began with the establishment of the ZAFT forces lunar base located at the Lorentz Crater, thus dividing the moon between the two opposing forces. The majority, and the most intense of the fighting, happens at the area called Grimaldi Front. Yet, with the intensity of the fighting, none of the soldiers, both ZAFT and Earth Alliance, were able to predict that the campaign would end within one month.

But it was within that one month that a few heroes and legends soared. Most noted was the one who would soon be called "Hawk of Endymion", the ace mobile armor pilot Mu La Flaga.

* * *

**All Quiet In The Grimaldi Front**

_A Gundam SEED fanfic by Fatherz_

**Prologue**

* * *

Amongst the barren, grey landscape of the lunar surface, a couple of mobile armors were patrolling the Lorentz crater area. Though both pilots don't expect much action on this side of the field, they both still kept a lookout for anything suspicious.

"This is Recon Team 3 reporting. No enemies in sight. Returning to base, over." radioed a mobile armor pilot over to his radio while patrolling an area near Lorentz crater.

_"Roger that Recon Team 3."_ the CIC of the base replied.

As the reconnaissance-modified mobile armor was about to turn back, it's sensors detected two heat signatures quickly approaching their positions.

"Wait, I've got something on radar. Two objects are coming inbound. I'm trying to identify them." said the pilot's wingman when they suddenly appeared. The screen started showing the schematics of the object, which they soon found to be a pair of ZGMF-LLR704B GINN Long Range Recon Type.

"It's ZAFT! Base, this is Recon Team 3. We got two LRR GINNs entering our sector! Shit, I think we're spotted!" the first pilot said.

The GINNs opened fire as soon as they noticed the retreating mobile armors. Armed with precision sniper rifles, the GINNs quickly dispatched them with the first shot. The scouts were reduced to nothing more than scrap.

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At a nearby lunar outpost of Vasco da Gamma, located a few short miles from Lorentz, the sparse personnel within the base were able to intercept the last transmission of the reconnaisance team. A few were already scrambling over the transmission to determine what happened to the patrol.

"Commander, we lost communication with Recon Team 3. Their last transmission stated that two LRR GINNs were seen entering the Lorentz crater area." The CIC quickly reported this development to the commanding officer.

"Damn. So those Coordinators are already starting to invade the moon, eh?" whispered the Commander to himself, then said to rest of the staff. "All crews to level one battle stations. Contact the Ptolemaeus Base. Inform them that ZAFT is beginning its invasion. Also, request for reinforcements to be deployed as soon as possible."

"Commander Henry, are you sure that this is really an invasion? We wouldn't want to misinform the top brass do we?", asked the same communications officer .

"I'm well aware of that! I'm sure of this. It was only a matter of time before they made their move here, but I would never expect them to attack somewhere other than Ptolemaeus. Now relay that message!"

"Yes sir!", the officer replied and quickly began contacting the main base.

_'Choosing Lorentz crater as the point of attack? What could those Coordinators be planning? Perhaps this is a diversion?'_, the commander contemplated as the base buzzed with activity.

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While the commanding officer of the small outpost was busy contemplating his options; another commander, who is just about ready to give his order to attack, surveyed his troops from within the Laurasia class battleship, 'Galvani'.

"All clear, sir. Scout Team 7 reported a few MA's patrolling, but they were already taken care of.", reported a ZAFT CIC to the commander beside him.

"Very well. Proceed with the operation." The blonde commander, donning a white face mask, finally authorized to the crew member, who began to relay the preset commands.

"Yes sir! All troops, prepare for lunar drop. Launch mobile suits to secure the landing zone." The CIC quickly dispatched to the rest of the fleet. The ship's crew were buzzing with activity. Communications officers transmitting messages throughout the fleet, technicians making final adjustments to mobile suits and other military hardware, and pilots already within their mobile suits launching from the ship's hanger. Everyone is well aware of their duties and the importance of this mission, so they worked like a well oiled machine.

"Um, Commander Le Creuset? With all due respect, isn't this attack a little too straight forward? We could be vulnerable to a counter attack." The commander's second-in-command, Vice Captain Ades, asked him with some concern. He was well aware that the man before him is an ace mobile suit pilot, but there were some doubts lingering in the man's mind.

"You don't have to worry about that. This area is the most isolated and least defended." the commander, now identified as Commander Le Creuset, replied calmly to him.

"But sir, intel reports that there is an Earth Alliance outpost near here. They might try to attack us while we're still establishing our base. Not to mention that they could have contacted the Ptolemaeus base." he reasoned to his superior.

Le Creuset merely gave a malevolent smirk. "You can consider that base destroyed by the time we've set a stronghold. I'll expect an enemy fleet to engage us, but we'll be prepared for them." he confidently addressed to him.

A device in Le Creuset's pocket began to beep, but he was the only one aware of it because of its limited range, which suited him just fine. No one needs to know of the function of said device, and its significance to this operation. "If you'll excuse me, I'll just be in my room. Take care of the rest of the operation for me." he said to his second-in-command.

"As you wish, sir." His second curtly saluted as Le Creuset left the bridge.

As Le Creuset was making his way along a hallway, he took out the device from his pocket. It is a simple looking electronic device no bigger than a watch, with two buttons located to the side and a very tiny bulb located in the opposite corner. It is currently blinking like an alarm klaxon and it is beeping in time with the light. For some reason, Le Creuset seems pleased with this.

_'Everything is proceeding as planned.'_, the masked commander thought to himself.

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The minor outpost of Vasco da Gamma was a bit chaotic, what with the impending assault that the commander of the base expected. Though there is a high possibility that the information being relayed was inaccurate, most of the personnel preferred to err on the side of caution and were quick to high tail it out of the base. The incessant blaring of the alarms only further prompted their decision.

_"Attention! All non-essential personnel must evacuate within the next hour. Bring only your necessary belongings and proceed to Shuttle Bay 3. This base will now enter combat with hostile forces. I repeat, all non-essential..."_, the speaker box quickly gave out its alert orders. Coupled with the blaring of alarm klaxons, the said personnel were quick to react to the impending attack.

Most of them consist of scientists, researchers, technicians, engineers, and even a few businessmen. The outpost itself is not an exclusive military installation, some areas dedicated to scientific pursuits or research which could only be done in space. Most of the areas, equipment, materiel, and personnel belong to the multitude of companies residing in Earth. The Earth Alliance forces required the support from a lot of different corporations to continue the ongoing war effort so the companies thought that it would be good to supervise the activities within the outpost to secure their profits.

So it is quite a simple task to pose as one of those non-military workers and infiltrate the base with sabotage being the purpose in mind.

Such are the thoughts running through the mind of one non-descript technician, who is currently heading for the shuttle bay in a manner most would have considered to be much too calm. However, since most of those people were too busy with themselves at that moment, they weren't able to make that observation.

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The mission is finally accomplished. None of the personnel were suspicious, or even aware of the infiltration to their base. Already many of them are scrambling to their stations for the imminent attack. All their efforts are futile, of course. If only they know what is in store for them. Oh well, too late for that now. His contact was already informed, so all that is left to do is to get out of the base unnoticed and watch the fireworks. Perhaps his contact would provide him with another mission? Time will tell.

**To be continued...**

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Well, you guys are probably wondering what the hell this is all about? Well, for starters you could think of this as a backstory. I'm basically trying to recreate a part of the history of Gundam SEED with what little information that I can get from the series and from other sources. Dang, it's actually tough to do. Not to mention that this story should not in anyway alter events which will happen in GS, meaning it should fit just right with the series. A simple analogy for this would be like making a piece of an unfinished puzzle. Originally, this was supposed to be a oneshot, but I changed my mind.

Feed back is very much appreciated. Give comments if I should continue this, improve it, or perhaps rewrite this story (I'm leaning more towards rewriting since a few SEED Destiny characters might provide a good plot, but I haven't watched it yet...). Flames will be accepted as well. If ever you have ideas or suggestions regarding the story, or perhaps more information, e-mail me, though I might not reply for a while or never at all so don't be offended (limited internet access and all that...).

'Give credit where credit is due' as they say. Historical information can be found at gundamofficial. Mobile suits, mobile armor, and ship info can be found at mahq.

-revision: Added new stuff. Changed flagship from 'Gamov' to 'Galvani'. Removed the (scenes) from before the chapter title.

12/23/2006-revision: Hopefully, the final revision. Added Commander Henry in the fic as the nameless... commander. Also removed those setting indicators and replaced them with narrations, which is hopefully better.


	2. Phase 1: Wings of Zero Corps

**Notes:** I'll be using the U.S Navy as the basis to denote rank in this fic. Any comments and information about this will be greatly appreciated.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any characters, events, places, or objects mentioned in this fic that belongs to Gundam SEED. If ever a character does not go by the name of Mu La Flaga, Rau Le Creuset, and/or Fredrik Ades then that character would be my original creation.

"words"

_'thoughts'_

_"radio/intercom/comm line"_

* * *

_"Of course, our military is well aware that space is an entirely different battleground from the ones that mankind has been fighting in since the dawn of man. We take into account the absence of gravity, the nauseous effects of vertigo, the difference of motions required as compared to atmospheric flight, the non-existence of reference points for navigation, and the total lack of depth perception and spatial awareness. The first three problems can easily be addressed through training, while the next to the last obstacle can be solved easily with our current technology. Unfortunately, the last problem can only be solved through an almost lifetime of conditioning in space. This is something which our forces totally lack, while in contrast, Coordinators face this dilemma every waking day. While we rely on the principles of "Line-of-Sight" for target acquisition, they on the other hand completely bypass this problem through their experience. This allows them to develop superiority in tactics and combat. Needless to say, this gives them an advantage against us." _

_"However, it has come to my attention that some individuals possess gifts that can also achieve this. And these people are born on Earth, no less! A handful of these gifted pilots are currently the vanguard of our space fleet, the Zero Corps. Their achievements in many theatres of space warfare have turned the tides in our favor. I believe that we, the Earth Alliance, should invest our time, effort, and resources in properly finding and training more of these gifted individuals to achieve victory in this war." _

**_-Captain Halberton, Earth Alliance military status report coinciding with the_ 'G-Weapons' _proposal, C.E. 70_**

* * *

**All Quiet In The Grimaldi Front**

_A Gundam SEED fanfic by Fatherz_

**Phase 01** - _Wings of Zero Corps_

* * *

As an Earth Alliance fleet mobilized their forces to retaliate against ZAFT, a lone transport shuttle begins its descent on the surface of the Ptolemaeus Lunar base. Judging from its appearance, this particular transport came from Earth as it is equipped with large boosters, perfect for escaping Earth's powerful gravity. 

Within the confines of the shuttle, two passengers conversed with each other. One is almost bursting with barely concealed excitement, while the other has an air of amusement etched in his face. Both are wearing Earth Alliance uniforms, white dress suit and pants along with short, brown boots. They are both strapped in their seats as they waited for the spacecraft to land.

"Finally! This is our dream come true, man!" one of the two passengers, a man with pale red hair and steel gray eyes said ecstatically to his companion. "We're finally among the ranks of Zero Corps. We've been waiting almost our entire lives for this, Mu."

His counterpart, a blonde man with deep blue eyes, nodded towards his partner. "Yeah, you're definitely right, Wes."

The brief pause in the conversation allowed Mu to reminisce about their training days in the Academy as he stared out to the star studded background of outer space. He remembered the countless hours of lessons, drills, and sorties.

Of course, he was also reminded of the fun times he had in the Academy, which always resulted with a harsh reprimand courtesy of their superior. Eventually, Mu and Wes graduated with high honors, practically the top of their class. The higher ups noticed their piloting prowess and thus inducted them within the best pilots of the Alliance: the Elite Moebius Zero Corps.

Mu noticed the lunar horizon creeping upward just as the intercom of the shuttle made an announcement.

_"This shuttle will now begin its lunar descent sequence. We request all passengers to fasten their seatbelts for their own safety."_ the shuttle pilot announced via the intercom.

The two pilots, as well as the rest of the passengers, complied with the request. Wes made a comment about Mu's momentary lapse, but was mostly ignored by him.

The craft landed without fanfare, then made its way to the airtight hanger where it will begin unloading supplies, baggages, and more importantly, passengers. Technicians scrambled towards the ship for maintenance checks, unloading of cargo, refueling, resupplying, and what not. Mu and Wes mostly ignored the hustling techs in favor of retrieving their bags and making themselves presentable when they meet their commanding officer.

"Hey, do you think we'll get deployed to the front lines the first chance we get?" asked Wes as he checked his uniform for creases.

"Probably. But we're the best there is, right? We're partners who make the impossible possible! What's the worst that could happen to us?" Mu replied to his friend confidently..

"Yeah. Good point." Wes responded. However, the normally unflappable red-headed rookie ace couldn't shake the feeling of dread in his voice.

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"All right boys, let's make this run quick. Remember, stick to the plan Commander Le Creuset told us." the leader of a squad of mobile suits, currently descending towards the EA outpost at high speed, advised his men.

_"Yes sir! Fight for ZAFT!"_ the other pilots responded to their squad leader. Most of their mobile suits, twelve in all, are currently armed with D Type equipment, perfect for an antifortress assault.

On the contrary though, assaulting the base with such equipment was never in the minds of the pilots, nor the plan of a certain masked commander.

The outpost retaliated, as expected, with CIWS gunfire. However, most of their shots were either fired too early, or easily evaded by the skilled pilots of the Le Creuset team. They quickly recognized the poor skills of Alliance soldiers inexperienced with warfare. As the mobile suits got closer though, the risk of getting shot down became higher.

Fortunately for the team, that's when the devious plan of the commander came to the fore.

A series of explosions began to set off decimating key defense placements within the base. A few seconds later the command structure, the communications relay, and the small hangar blew up and eventually crumbled, crushing any Alliance soldiers, or officers still within its confines.

By this time, the mobile suits have already landed at the base. They met no serious opposition, and suffered no losses. Those who were foolish enough to attack them with inferior weaponry, like small arms fire, were quickly dealt with.

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_"This is Alpha-1. The area is secured. No enemies on sight."_ the squad leader informed their commander via the comm lines.

"Very well. Proceed with Phase 2 of the operation." Commander Le Creuset ordered the MS team. "Also, inform the rest of the fleet to start establishing our base." he directed towards the nearby CIC.

"Yes, sir." the CIC complied, transmitting the commander's message.

The fleet of Laurasia class ships orbiting above Lorentz began disengaging their mobile suit decks laden with all sorts of material. These makeshift landing capsules soon descended towards the lunar crater, with the base construction for their forces in mind. The 'podless' ships soon changed their course, heading towards the craters nearby da Gamma.

Meanwhile, back at the debris littered outpost, the mobile suits took up positions among the rubble and awaited further orders.

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After alighting from the shuttle, Ensigns Mu La Flaga and Jarod Weston headed for a nearby elevator, baggages in tow. They proceeded to head towards their destination, the Zero Corps office in Ptolemaeus where they were ordered to report to.

Making their way through the large, winding base, they finally arrived at the entrance of the headquarters, a huge pair of alloyed automatic doors with a lounge area at it's hallway's entrance. A nearby communications crewmember, sitting in her station, noticed the two handsome men.

"Excuse me. Can I help you sir?" the officer inquired the man nearest to her, a blue eyed, blonde.

"Hmm?" Mu glanced toward the now blushing brunette. The lady in question repeated her question to Mu, who was by now leaning forward, facing her. Mu noticed that she is wearing the pink version of the Alliance uniform paired with a forest green skirt. She lacked any identifying badges in her collar and shoulderboard, so Mu judged her to be around the rank of crewman. Upon noticing the inquiring, verdant eyes of the woman he's scrutinizing, Mu began to tell the purpose of his visit.

"Me and my buddy here are supposed to report to the commanding officer of Zero Corps. You wouldn't happen to know where their office is, would you?" Mu asked, while he giving her one of his patented 'lady killer' smiles. His red haired companion merely shook his head.

"First day on the job and already you're flirting with the first girl you see here? And we haven't even reported to the HQ yet!" he gave an exasperated sigh. He should've expected something like this though. Mu was notorious in the Academy for flirting with any new female recruits. The fact that Wes went with many of Mu's escapades escaped his mind at the moment though. Before Mu could elaborate this fact to his friend though, the brunette took this opportunity to answer the blonde's question.

"Well, if you're looking for their office, then you came to the right place. I'll just contact the commander in charge. You can sit in the lounge area, if you want to." the woman beckoned to the two men.

"Thanks. Oh yeah, how could I forget to introduce myself to such a beauty? I'm Ensign Mu La Flaga." he offered his hand in a friendly gesture. The woman reciprocated the gesture, shaking the ensign's hand.

"And I'm Ensign Jarod Weston," Wes gave the lady a mock salute and a wink. "Pilot extrordinaire, at your service. But you can call me Wes if ya want." he added as an afterthought.

The two brash pilots were rewarded with a bright smile from the brunette. "Nice to meet you both. I'm Janette Neel. Anyway, I'll inform your commander that you arrived. He'll see you in a minute." At those words, Janette turned to her console and started relaying a message to the HQ commander.

Both ensigns sat on a nearby bench, waiting for Janette to usher them to the office.

After a minute, she called them and they both passed the doors with a brisk pace. They soon stopped and stood rigid facing a man standing in front of his desk.

"Ensigns Mu La Flaga and Jarod Weston reporting for duty, sir." Mu saluted to the man in front of him. Wes mimicked the gesture perfectly, standing rigid as well.

The person in front of them responded with his own salute. "At ease." he ordered them both, while dropping his salute.

Both reacted to the customary procedure and placed their hands behind their backs with their feet planted a bit wide. They also took this opportunity to observe their commanding officer.

The man is a bit taller than them with light brown hair adorning his top, combed back neatly with a few stray strands on his face. Shiny emerald eyes beneath thin rimmed glasses held steely gazes at the two rookies. Although older than the two, his age couldn't have been any more than thirty. His white dress uniform is completely immaculate with a few medals adorning it, and his collar badge, shoulder board, and sleeve identified his rank as Commander. He carried himself with complete discipline and authority earned by right.

"Welcome to Ptolemaeus. I am Commander Nikolai Xavier, your new commanding officer."

He held his hand out in front of his men in greeting. Mu, being nearer to the commander, took the initiative and shook his hand. Wes did the same when Commander Xavier turned to him.

"It's good to finally meet the top pilots of the Atlantic Federation Space Academy." Nikolai nodded his head towards them both. "Zero Corps is honored to have you both fighting along side us."

"The honor is ours, commander." Wes answered reverently. Mu acknowledged the praise with a nod. Here in front of them stood the commander of Zero Corps, who is rumored to be a veteran of the battle at Yggdrasil space station. Though that particular battle ended in a stand-off, the Alliance soldiers who fought there were greatly honored.

"The rest of the team is out on missions right now. You'll be meeting them when we're deployed for a battle, after your duties will be assigned, and you get your Moebius Zeros." Nikolai started.

Mu and Wes glanced and grinned at each other. The Mobius Zeros are a special kind of mobile armor, vastly different than the mass production model. The performance of those machines in battle is uncanny. Piloting those things would be a great test for the two rookies, but they're both thrilled to meet that challenge head on. This is an opportunity that the two would never pass off!

"And before I forget, you'll get callsigns for the duration of your stay here. Fortunately for you both, you'll get to choose your own callsigns." their commander continued to speak to them both. "Here's the catch though. The callsign you choose should be a bird of prey, since our squadron's nickname is 'Raptors'. My own callsign is 'Owl', and every Zero Corps pilot have their own. So, what will your callsigns be?" he finished and stared to at the two of them, waiting for them to give their answers.

Both rookies pondered the questions for a couple of seconds. Finally, Wes spoke up to give his answer.

"Well, since it has to be a predatory bird, I guess 'Falcon' would work for me. Unless someone already took it?" he asked to the commander, who nodded his head in approval.

Commander Xavier now turned to Mu, who has one particular callsign in mind now.

"Hawk. I'd like to have the callsign of 'Hawk' if you don't mind commander."

"Hawk, huh?" Nikolai murmured to himself while considering deeply. "Alright, I approve." he said before Mu could inquire if such a callsign was taken already. "Now then Falcon," Wes perked up at being called by his callsign. "...Hawk," Mu nodded to his commander, who seemed to speak in a nostalgic tone.

"I want you both to be here at oh-six-hundred hours. We'll head to the hanger to give you your armors. You can fly them for a test run, if you want. Clear?" Nikolai's voice now turned serious as he addressed the two.

"Yes, sir!" both rookies answered.

"Good. For now, Janette will lead you to your quarters. I'd imagine you'll need some rest after the journey from Earth." Turning to his desk, Commander Xavier called for Janette to guide the two new members of Zero Corps to their rooms.

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The squad commander of the MS team, a Coordinator named Benedict Halcyon a.k.a. Alpha-1, waited for the opportunity to present itself within the cramped confines of his GINN mobile suit. Being deliberately buried beneath a layer of debris gave his mobile suit an effective camouflage. The suit's monoeye began tracking a trio of mobile armors as they patrolled the vicinity of the destroyed outpost. He noticed them paying close attention to two mobile suits, decoys deployed by his men to fool the EA, visibly strewn amongst the rubble. After flying a few more minutes, the MA trio disengaged, most probably returning to their fleet. The squad leader released a sigh of relief as his men weren't compromised by the MA scouts. He once again looked at the decoy suits, smirking at the thought that the succesful diversion wasn't its only purpose.

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Inside the bridge of the flagship Galvani, Commander Le Creuset gave an almost imperceptible sneer. _'Everything is proceeding well. We only have to wait for a signal. They'd better not screw this up!'_ the unnoticable narrowing of eyes behind the white mask accentuated the malevolent thoughts of the blonde commander. He surveyed the bridge in its entirety. The whole crew was ordered to maintain total silence and to utilize the barest of essentials for the ship's operation. This means that they are waiting blind and deaf to the enemy as they cannot use any detection equipment. The energy used might alert the approaching fleet and jeopardize the entire operation, reasoned the commander.

The tension could be seen in their eyes as they waited for a sign for them to attack. Being blind to the outside world, the paranoia of some of the crew began to creep in. What if the strike team was annihilated? What if the EA fleet has already found them? These questions, along wth a few morbid thoughts, were running through the heads of a few of them.

_'Idiots, the lot of them,'_ a stray notion entered Le Creuset's mind after spotting a particular crew member heavily sweating. _'Most probably fear induced.'_ the commander concluded.

_'They knew the risks involved with this mission. We won't win this war if we don't make any drastic moves. Such a thing to be expected with pacifistic rulers like Clyne sitting in the Council head.'_

Had the commander voiced those opinions out loud, he would have been confined to the brig and stripped of his rank. Such as it is, he kept these thoughts to himself. The silence finally forced the mask donning commander to stop himself from thinking too much. The operation takes precedence over such trivial matters.

And so he waited as time flew by. Waiting for that one opportunity to strike.

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After laying low for the ambush for quite some time, the MS team's patience finally bore fruit. An Agamemnon class ship, two Nelson class warships, and four Drake class escort ships are soon hovering over the wrecked outpost. What worried Benedict though are the innumerable mobile armors flanking the fleet. Even though mobile suits are superior in combat capabilities than their counterpart, their sheer numbers offset this advantage, even with ten mobile suits currently present. Add to the fact that all of their suits are weighed down by D Type equipment, and disaster would definitely ensue if they decide to press on the attack.

And so, Benedict made a crucial decision. He remained on standby for the moment, not going ahead with the plan just yet. He can't communicate with his men, as it is a sure fire way for the EA fleet to detect them. He only hoped that they had enough discipline, patience, and common sense to follow his lead.

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Vice Captain Fredrik Ades looked at his watch for the third time. His patience is already waning, beads of sweat gathering in his brow in weariness. Most of the crew are also getting restless at waiting for quite some time. The assault squad is definitely late. Ades suppressed the urge to pace back and forth along the bridge.

"Stop doing that. You're making the crew more nervous." a nearly silent whisper escaped the lips of his commanding officer. A glance at his masked visage revealed the calm and composed state of Rau Le Creuset.

"But commander, we haven't received any signal from the strike team for a long time. The crew are also getting restless. Perhaps we should break cover, and attack now." the paranoid vice captain replied back to the commander in hushed tones. _'In fact, we don't even know what the signal is.'_ he mentally added.

"No." chastised Le Creuset in a straight forward manner. "To charge out blindly into the fray would be very foolish on our part. We need the element of surprise. We shall have to keep waiting for the right moment." he continued in a discreet voice, yet still making it seem like a barked out command.

"Just what is the signal we are waiting for anyway? All communication lines are deactivated. How is the team supposed to make contact with us?" asked Ades still speaking softly.

"Trust me, I'll handle it." Le Creuset told his second-in-command. "I hand picked those men personally. They won't fail with their duty." he reassured the vice captain. _'For their sakes.'_

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A few minutes after the EA fleet arrived, their ships soon recalled the mobile armors along their area. Benedict assumed that the fleet thought that ZAFT retreated from this sector already. It was a good thing that the patrolling armors didn't explore the areas where the ZAFT fleet was stationed. The enemy fleet also sent out a few Mistrals to investigate the wrecked base, as well as the derelict mobile suits.

_'Now is the perfect opportunity.'_ Benedict assessed, tactical analyses flying through his genetically enhanced mind. A few mobile armors are still trying to dock with their mother ships and the Mistrals are close enough to their trap. The resulting chaos brought about by this ambush would confuse the ships giving the MS team time to take them down, along with the mobile armors within them.

With that split second decision made, Benedict pressed a nearby button on his HUD.

Another split second later, the decoy suits being analysed by the Mistrals detonated, ripping the worker pods apart.

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By now the crew of the Galvani is extremely aggravated with the lack of action on their part. The pressure almost forced Le Creuset to damn his own order of strict silence by yelling at his crew. But that was when he felt... something. A small vibration, almost imperceptible to normal humans, and casually dismissed by the Coordinator crew as nothing more than the ship's functions.

Le Creuset's senses however were very keen, even beyond that of a Coordinator. It was almost like an intuitative reaction. And he trusted these sensations explicitly. It helped him overcome trials from his past, helped in making crucial military decisions, and survive through many battles bringing victory with him. And thus with complete confidence, or perhaps arrogance, Le Creuset issued his orders at the top of his lungs.

"All ships launch now! Issue Condition Red! Prepare all of our gun batteries, and set our course for Vasco da Gamma crater!"

The crew, with the tension now broken, stared at the masked commander. Fuming at the incompetence his crew is showing, Le Creuset felt that a louder 'encouragement' is necessary.

"I. said. MOVE IT!"

The crew complied, and all three ships soon headed towards the battle.

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The surprised fleet gaped at the explosion for a few seconds too long before sounding off their alarms, and preparing for battle, which was just enough time for the MS team to make their move.

They simultaneously revealed their prescence and leveled their weapons towards the shock frozen fleet. Canis and Pardus missiles soon soared towards the weakest ships of the fleet, the four Drake class ships. The barrage destroyed three of them while the last one remained dead in space, it's engines disabled.

_'We've eliminated their anti-beam capabilities. Now for the big fish.'_ Benedict thought to himself as he brought his M69 Barrus heavy ion cannon into bear. His target is the Agammemnon class ship already returning fire, albeit its shots were inaccurate. Hopefully, his teammates have picked the other targets.

Multiple lances of emerald beams hit different sections of the carrier, as well as the two Nelson class warships. Most of the shots hit the engine comparment and the mobile suit launch decks, leaving them dead in space as well and incapable of launching mobile armors. That didn't stop them from retaliating though.

Green beams, railgun slugs, and cannon fire pinned down the MS team in their positions. Their spot among the debris didn't give them much room for maneuverability, so they ducked behind whatever wreckage they could find. Two screams in the intercom followed by a pair of explosions heralded the demise of a couple of mobile suit pilots. An explosion beside Benedict's GINN alerted him of their precarious situation.

Their salvation came in the form of bright green columns of light striking the enemy carrier straight on. The blast destroyed the crippled flagship. Another volley annihilated what was left of the meagre fleet.

The battle concluded, Benedict gave a sigh of relief that his mission was accomplished. His team gave out loud cheers for their first victory in the lunar campaign.

Commander Rau Le Creuset however marked this victory as another step in furthering his goals. ZAFT has tasted first blood, and Le Creuset would make sure that this will end in his favor.

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All around the shuttle, I see technicians, engineers, scientists, fidgeting in their seats. These kinds of people have no military background whatsoever. They are definitely worried about their fate should they have stayed at the outpost. Feh! No use worrying about the past that never happened.

A few of them gave out sighs of relief for the transfer, probably glad that they still maintain a job, even with the hazard of war. They have a future to look forward to. A blessing to them now that they realized their vulnerability within this occupation.

I calmly stared out the windows to contemplate on what to do from here on out, think of my own future. I frowned at the notion of it. The chief technician said that most of us will be transferred to a supply base. Endymion if memory serves me right. Those lard-ass businessmen will be evacuated back to Earth. Good riddance! They seem to function more as dead weight than anything else. It's good to never see their faces again.

The lull in my thoughts suddenly reminded of my last mission. ZAFT probably took over the base by now, EA reinforcements obliterated. I take pride in succeeding in my mission. Mostly ending up with destruction.

It seems to be my only purpose these days.

**To be continued... **

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Whew! Finally done. Damn took me too long. One year is too long. 

And so we get to the part that I oh-so hate the most: introducing ORIGINAL characters. Bleagh! Unfortunately, it's necessary in this story as recycling SEED characters would create plot holes bigger than Daedaleus crater. Please remind me EXPLICITLY if ever some characters are turning Mary Sue-ish or Gary Stu-ish. Yeah, it would help a LOT. Though you don't have to worry since if you know your SEED stuff, then you know Mu will be the only living Zero Corps pilot by the end of this story. As usual, reviews are very welcome! Thanks to those who reviewed the Prologue. SEED Destiny didn't help with the character creations at all, but I did get some ideas for this story.

Oh yeah, should I put the original characters profiles to give you guys familiarity to them? I'll be putting them at the end of every Author's Notes, if you approve. Anyway, thanks again for reading this.


	3. Phase 2: Feathers of the Raptors

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any characters, events, places, or objects mentioned in this fic that belongs to the company who made Gundam SEED. If ever a character does not go by the name of Mu La Flaga, Rau Le Creuset, and/or Fredrik Ades then that character would be my original creation.

"words"

_'thoughts'_

* * *

_"When battling against mobile suits piloted by Coordinators, the arrogant Earth Alliance generals said that we need three mobile armors ganging up against one suit. But this is actually a very low estimate, which is why pilot losses are so high. These rookies often underestimate the capabilities of a mobile suit coupled with genetically enhanced pilots. Us veterans however, managed to conclude that shooting down a suit would require five or more of our mobile armors. That's five-plus pilots risking their neck to shoot only one mobile suit! The gap between our forces and theirs is just that big." _

_"With the Moebius Zero prototype, however, we were able to recreate the same sense of engaging a mobile suit with five armors. Think about it, we got four gunbarrels remotely controlled and the main fuselage with the linear gun. That's five armors rolled in one! And the best part is, it only requires one pilot. Piloting skills however is another story." _

**_-Anonymous Zero Corps pilot (deceased)_**

* * *

**All Quiet In The Grimaldi Front**

_A Gundam SEED fanfic by Fatherz_

**Phase 02** - _Feathers of the Raptors_

* * *

"Over here." Janette led the two new members of Zero Corps towards a hallway with multitudes of automatic sliding doors lined up at the aisles. The two rookies assumed these entrances led to other quarters. Finally, they stopped in front of a sliding door located somewhere between the center and corner part of the hallway. "This will be your bunk from now on, guys. And here's your access keys," the brunette woman gave a glossy, metal card to each of the duo. "Well, I guess I'll see you later. I need to go back to the terminal." 

She gave them a friendly wave goodbye, then proceeded to return to her duties. Both males mumbled their thanks to the leaving woman. Mu took a moment to admire the way Janette's hips swayed languorously as she left. Wes considered smacking the silly grin from his friend's face, but relented. They had some matters to attend to, after all. Finally, they turned their gazes toward their quarters.

"You want to do the honors?" Wes asked his friend, gesturing towards the entrance, with only a card swipe necessary to reveal the interior.

"Don't mind if I do." Mu held up his key card and swiped it over the small console beside the door.

The door slid open after a beep of confirmation, revealing a modest sized room. Two double-deck bunks are located at opposite corners at the far end of the room. A desk with a terminal is located at the corner adjacent to the door, with a small corridor beside it. The new residents of this quarter assumed it led to the bathroom. There were no windows though, but then again, there's not much to see in the barren lunar landscape. The sunlight also isn't a very good thing in the non-existent atmosphere of the moon. It was just well that the room was sufficiently illuminated by artificial lights, bathing the room in a bright radiance.

"Woah. Nice room. Not too shabby." Mu commented as he entered the quarters he shared with his partner.

"Yeah. Looks much better than in the Academy." Wes replied, placing his bags at the nearest corner. "Whew! I'm dead tired from that trip! I think I'll catch a few 'zees'. Top bunk's mine!"

And with that proclamation, the exhausted auburn haired rookie jumped to the top bunk, adjusting to the low lunar gravity quickly, and flopped himself face down towards the mattress.

"There's two top bunks here, anyway!" Mu laughed at his friend's antics. "I think I'll head over to the mess hall for a while. I'm not tired yet." the still snickering blonde informed his partner.

Said partner merely gave a mumbled response from his prone position, before a few snores informed Mu of his friend's state of unconsciousness. Mu decided to unpack his baggages first before heading to the mess hall. Unzipping the duffel bag, he began to sort out his stuff onto the floor. The uniforms were draped, while the rest of his clothes were folded before placing them into the closet. His personal effects are placed at the small cabinet located in the bathroom. Walking back to his almost empty bag, Mu noticed a framed picture inside. Upon close scrutinization, he can't help but let a tiny smile etch itself in his face.

It was a picture of himself and Wes in the Academy days. They were dressed in uniforms usually worn by cadets, which in this case is the red collared, blue uniform paired with white pants, and azure boots. Mu stood to the right, with his hands inside the pocket of his pants. Wes is set opposite Mu, giving a thumbs up to the camera. Both looked like they've accomplished a great achievement, namely graduating from the Academy.

Behind them stood a tall, heavy set, middle-aged man with graying brunette hair and a short beard adorning his chin. Fully decked in an impeccable officer's uniform of rank befitting a Commander, this person exudes a sense of paternal affection for the two recent graduates.

Taking the photograph from his bag and placing it at the desk reverently, Mu began to reminisce about that joyful, yet bittersweet day.

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Cheers and well wishings seem to be the norm among the cadets of the Atlantic Federation Space Academy, a very well known military academy specializing in space warfare. Most high ranking officers commanding vast fleets, or ace pilots leading elite squadrons graduated in this renowned training facility. To be accepted within this prestigious institution is a great honor to the aspiring warrior of the last known frontier.

It isn't surprising then that the cadets, who have passed their ordeal, are found celebrating after their commencement. They expressed their joy by throwing their 'caps' skyward, pumping their fists in the air, hugging nearby friends, shaking the hands of their fellow cadets, or shouting on the top of their lungs. They all had one thing in common, and that would be the bright smiles adorning their faces.

Two particular cadets broke out in grins probably brighter than the surrounding entourage. And with good reason too. Mu La Flaga and Jarod Weston came out on top of their classes, though a few petty arguments sprung now and then between the two on who the best is. However, today felt too much of a good day to spoil with such childish bickering. They both planned to hit the nearest pubs, like what many other cadets are doing now, to celebrate and get drunk as well as have fun.

A chance meeting with an old associate, however, cancelled that decision.

"Commander Henry !" Wes called out to a middle-aged man, who was talking amongst the throng of other officers. Mu also perked up when his buddy uttered out that name. It is plainly obvious that the person is of great importance to these two men.

Upon hearing his name being called by a familiar voice, said person turned his attention to two young men, who were by now heading towards him.

"Ah! If it isn't Jarod Weston and Mu La Flaga themselves. Good to see you boys doing well. It's been quite a while hasn't it, eh?" greeted a middle-aged man with graying brunette hair.

"Been too long commander." Mu shook his former instructor's hand.

"Likewise. How's life been treating you boys?" the officer asked the two cadets.

"Really well commander." Wes replied, catchin up to the pair. At this point both cadets showed the commander a couple of badges adorning their uniform.

"Highest marks in your classes, eh?" their aged mentor gave a joyous laugh. "That's great! Congratulations to both of you!" Commander Henry gave the two boys a fatherly hug expressing great pride for the accomplishment of his charges.

"Thanks commander. We couldn't have done it without your help." Wes expressed his gratitude towards the aging instructor.

"Well! This could only mean that you'll become top guns for OMNI, right?" a still smiling commander asked.

Both of them grinned wide, surprising the commander with their answer.

"We're going to join Zero Corps!" both exclaimed proudly internally laughing at the gaping expression of their old mentor.

After a moment of initial surprise, the commander merely shook his head at it all. 'Aiming high to soar high. These two are born to be pilots. You should have expected something like this, Henry. Hah, I must be getting senile. Of course they wouldn't join the regular fleet squadrons.'

Commander Henry unknowingly gave a sad smile which went unnoticed to the two cadets. With the presence of war looming, the commander knew all too well the burden these pilots would soon have to carry when they went out to battle. The chattering duo stopped for a moment when they spied a photographer taking pictures for some of the graduating cadets.

"Hey, why don't we all get our pictures taken?" Mu suggested for the trio.

Their former instructor nodded his assent, and soon after a reminder of their past was forever etched in their memories.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

A few days later, both of them received a letter from Commander Henry about his transfer to another facility. Their former mentor mentioned something about getting too old for managing a huge base. Their father figure didn't have the heart to tell the two outright when he left.

_'Heh. Here I am living out the dream that Commander Henry wanted for both of us and I'm being so melodramatic about it.'_ Mu reflected as he headed towards the mess hall, or wherever the troops here grab a bite. Only a few people were present at that time, some on active duty while others had the same idea as himself. A group or two already sat themselves down discussing some stuff that Mu decided to ignore.

_'Damn. I never did ask which station did the commander transfer to, though I think I heard it was on the moon.'_ With a bit of wistfulness from the prospect of meeting his old friend once again, the blonde ensign decided to use a nearby terminal, conveniently placed within the galley, to search for his erstwhile commander.

Mu entered his ID into the terminal, then typed a search query on his commander's location.

While the computer was processing, Mu couldn't help but overhear the conversation from one of the groups, whom he assumed were technicians. It didn't help that they were in a close vicinity to the blonde pilot, and that their efforts at keeping a whispered conversation wasn't very successful.

So, with half an ear turned towards the group, Mu waited for the computer's admittedly slow process.

"Hey, I just got some really ugly info from a friend of mine from the Intel Division. Says that ZAFT has begun attacking the lunar bases here." a rather young and short technician whispered conspiratorially to his fellow technicians.

"No damn way! Why the hell weren't we informed? Is the top brass trying to cover up the attacks with more of their propaganda bullshit?" another tech, slightly taller and with a darker complexion, uttered back.

"I dunno, man. But here's another info I got. One of the bases already fell, a backwater post. Da Gamma, I think, was the name." the short tech replied uncertainly to his co-worker.

At that moment, Mu's computer beeped to inform him of his search. He decided to forgo the irrelevant data, or info that he already knows. He was, however, shocked with the revelation of his former mentor's current location.

* * *

_**...currently assigned as the base commander of Vasco da Gamma lunar outpost.**_

* * *

_'Da Gamma? Wait a minute!'_ Mu turned towards the area the techs were seated. Most of them already left. However, he caught a glimpse of one of them right at the door, leaving. 

"Hey! Wait!" he ran after the tech, who didn't seem to hear the blonde ensign. He finally caught up with one of them, the short tech who initiated the topic in the first place, and held him against the wall.

"What the hell do you know about da Gamma? Tell me!" Mu practically yelled the question to the short tech.

"Hey, who are you? Let me go! What the hell are you talking about?" 'Shorty' struggled against the grip of the very agitated officer. "You'll get court martialed for this!"

Mu calmed down quickly and released the technician in favor of repeating his question.

"You were saying something about ZAFT attacking an EA outpost. Tell me everything about it." his tone brooked no room for argument.

"Well, I dunno the details, but an outpost by the name of Vasco da Gamma was attacked some hours ago. Nothing was left of the base." the technician summarized to his officer. "The info wasn't in any of the reports yet, though. I dunno if it's reliable, anyway. EA intel's always blowin' things outta proportion."

Mu contemplated the info the man before him provided. Although it is very possible for the data to be inaccurate, what with it being hearsay and provided by an admittedly unreliable source, as well as being an undocumented report, Mu had a feeling that this matter holds some grain of truth in it. His concern for the welfare of his long time mentor also reinforced this belief.

"Hey, ya mind lettin me go now? I'm kinda late as it is." the technician left the sentence hanging. He's getting really annoyed with this guy! Who cares if he's a superior officer? This constitutes as an abuse of power!

"Yeah, sure." Mu mumbled towards the fuming technician, who left him to his thoughts. But not before muttering a few choice words once said officer was out of earshot.

Left alone, worried about Commander Henry, and with his original purpose forgotten, Mu decided to head back to his bunk. Maybe Wes can help him sort this out, afterall he's his friend and this also concerns him.

He began to trudge back to his room when the speakerbox suddenly transmitted a message. Mu kept going, but he also listened to the public announcement.

_"All EA 3rd Fleet detachment's personnel, report to your stations. The fleet will launch within 2 hours. The commanding officers will brief you once you're underway. Ensigns Mu La Flaga and Jarod Weston, please report to the Zero Corps HQ..."_

Nothing needs to be said further. Mu ran to his quarters first, planning on waking his pal who is most probably still in dreamland. The fleet deployment made him curious though, as well as the order from HQ. Mu sighed at it all. It seems his conversation with Wes will have to wait.

Arriving in record time, Mu was surprised to see Wes already up and suited carrying his luggage.

"Janette called from the terminal." Wes pointed to the computer at the corner, explaining before Mu could throw him the question. "You'd better pack light. It would also help if you started doing it now." he jovially pointed out when Mu just stood there.

"Do you know what's happening?" Mu asked, while in the midst of repacking his stuff.

"Looks like our 'oh-six-hundred' got cancelled." Wes said refering to their scheduled MA test run for tomorrow. "We'll be coming along with the fleet detachment. Commander Xavier said they might need more pilots."

"Why is the fleet heading out?" Mu zipped his bag shut. A notion suddenly came to him concerning the fact he gleaned about da Gamma. _'Perhaps this has something to do with it?'_

"I don't know. The commander will probably brief us soon enough." Wes replied just as Mu finished. "You done?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

Both men shouldered their bags and left their quarters. As they walked towards their destination, Mu couldn't help but express some regret.

"I didn't even get a chance to warm up my own bunk." the blonde ensign joked to his partner.

Wes just gave a loud, boisterous laugh at that remark.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"You're both late." Commander Xavier reprimanded the two rookies when they arrived at his office. "But I'll let that slide for now. We have important matters to attend to. Gentlemen, have a seat." he gestured towards the two elegant wooden chairs in front of his desk.

Both men seated themselves at this prompting. They soon paid close attention to their commanding officer for the briefing.

"At 2125 hours military time, we received a coded signal from a fleet detachment sent to investigate an outpost at the far side of the moon." Nikolai gestured to a screen behind him. Multitudes of green markers, with varied symbols, dotted along the map of the moon's far side. A few of them are colored yellow, mostly in a scattered vicinity of the map.

_'Probably marked as 'unfinished bases'.'_ both ensigns echoed in their heads.

Nikolai, however, pointed to an area marked red, probably signifying that the area is now destroyed.

"The detachment confirmed the destruction of the outpost identified as Vasco da Gamma." the beige tressed commander carried on while still facing the wide screen. Nikolai didn't notice Mu gasp inaudibly in surprise. Wes, however, detected this slight change in body language. Nevertheless, he decided to press for answers later, after the briefing.

Oblivious to the tiny distraction, Commander Xavier continued with updating the two men about the situation.

"There's more bad news. They also confirmed the prescence of a ZAFT fleet within the vicinity. Three Laurasia class ships with a full contingent of mobile suits. And it get's worse from here. The detachment... never made it back." Nikolai stood solemn by this time, facing the two, ashen faced rookies.

"Casualties from the outpost are unconfirmed right now." Their commander finished as the screen went blank, bathing the room in eerie darkness. Both ensigns assumed the worst case scenario with the base and fleet as lost for good. It didn't give them any reassurance at all.

"That is where we come in." Nikolai then began to issue orders. "The top brass is sending 3rd Fleet's finest, along with Zero Corps, to retake da Gamma and engage ZAFT forces advancing from that area. Intel from Ptolemaeus believes this is the spearhead of ZAFT's lunar invasion. The other Zero Corps pilots have been ordered to hold off the invasion as their highest priority, so we will rendezvous with the rest of them later. Questions?" their commanding officer faced each of the pair. Wes raised a hand, which Commander Xavier quickly acquiesce.

"What's the size of our forces?" Wes paused from taking notes regarding the briefing.

"One Agamemnon class carrier, three Nelson class warships, along with six Drake class ships for escort. All with a full contingent of mobile armors, four Mobius Zero prototypes included. Good for operating within one month." Nikolai answered. "Any more?"

"Four Zeros?" Mu wondered about the lack of numbers. Nikolai took that as a question though.

"That's right. One of my pilots are already on stand by with the ship. You'll meet him soon enough. And I'll fly with you as well, of course."

"What about the rest of the squadron? Where and when will we RV with them?" Wes continued with his line of inquiry.

"It'll probably be too late for them to help with the counter-offensive, but we need to hold the line in da Gamma long enough for them to arrive. I estimate about a day, tops. Any more?" When no one presented any more questions, Commander Xavier promptly dismissed the two ensigns.

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After the briefing, Mu and Wes headed straight to one of the ships. At first, they thought they would be serving within the Aeneas, the Agamemnon class carrier, as it's a standard transport for mobile armor deployment. Imagine their surprise when it turns out they'll be on duty within a Nelson class warship, of all vessels.

Both, however, noticed some differences compared to the other Nelsons flanking the ship. It looks like it's been overhauled, upgraded with improved engines, weapon systems, and hull integrity which outline the 250 meter long vessel. Mu had to give a low whistle, as this ship impressed him already.

"She's a beaut, ain't she?" Turning towards the deep, course voice, the two ensigns noticed the presence of a stout mechanic standing behind them in the gangplank. From what they can make of the grease covered person, they see a somewhat aged man covered in orange overalls that have seen better days. He had a strange, far-off look in his teal irises as he stroked his blonde, graying beard. Chewing the toothpick poking out his mouth for a bit, he removed his cap and gave his introduction.

"Howdy. The name's Bernie Marduk. But please, call me Duke." He began to vigorously shake the two men's hands. When 'Duke' finally released them, they both thought their shoulders would've been torn from their sockets.

"So, yer the new boys the commander's been talkin' about, eh? Ensigns La Flaga and Weston?" he asked with what they distinguished as a cowboy accent.

"Yeah, that's right... umm... Duke." replied the red headed ensign uncertainly. The guy looks like he can wrangle an ox bare handed, and yet he gives off a vibe likened to Santa Claus. Quite an odd paradox, come to think about it.

"You work on this ship?" Mu asked looking back at the enormous vessel.

"Yep. Been workin' with 'Victoria' even before the war broke out." A melancholic feeling filled the old veteran as he began to narrate certain aspects of the ship. "She be one of the first, been through a lot of battles, she 'ave. The capt'n had 'er modified every time a part'o her got demolished, which I've lost count of. And trust me, I've been personally installin' them parts on this baby." Duke gave out a rowdy laugh as he continued. "Yep, those we're the times."

"Well, that is all interesting, but we really got to go now." Wes said reminding his companion that they'll be launching soon. And it's one thing to be left behind, or to be late, that just irks the red head pilot, especially if it leaves a proverbial stain in his record. And just when he so recently got here. That would be very embarassing.

"Oho! A bit in a hurry aren't we, kid?" The graying mechanic rubbed his chin in thought. 'Young people nowadays. Always so impatient.'

"Well, we're still loadin' our 'quipment so ya can just relax. 'Sides, I reck'n ya wanna see yer birds." the aged mechanic said to them both.

The ensigns, of course, knew the lingo that Duke was speaking off. He meant that they'd get a chance to see their mobile armors. That instantly perked up both pilots.

Pretty soon, both ensigns were following the fat mechanic, who for some reason started to hum an intelligible melody. Tuning out the sound, Wes thought this would be a good time to approach Mu concerning his reaction during the mission update.

"Hey, Mu. What's up with you during the briefing?" asked the red head ensign.

"It's..." Mu quickly bit his tongue. It wouldn't do them any good if Wes knew about the details concerning da Gamma. Besides, worrying about it could hamper his partner's piloting skills. And in the midst of their first sortie, that might get you killed.

"It's nothing. I'll tell you later." Mu said to Wes in a serious tone brooking no argument.

Wes read those signs all too well. It meant his friend is hiding something he should know. However, his stern words, which Wes rarely heard from his friend's mouth, warned him to heed Mu's advice.

"Okay." A simple reply. Wes had no doubts that his partner will hold on to his word.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The trio soon arrived at the hangar, where a lot of mechanics and technicians were making adjustments on various equipment littering the wide expanse. They headed towards the corner of the hangar where four Moebius Zero prototypes are docked.

The nearest Zero has a light brown color scheme with beige highlights at its nose and gunbarrels. A somewhat simple color scheme, overall. The well aged machine has extra antennae strutting from the nose cone, though both ensigns don't get its significance yet.

The next fighter has almost the same color scheme, albeit a shade or two darker in color. Black highlights along bulkier sections of the craft, like the gunbarrels and fuselage -which was another thing both rookies noticed, gave the rather cumbersome looking machine a sleeker look.

The last two mobile armors were identically painted with a red-orange motif and white highlights, the usual paint job for a newly rolled out unit. Or in this case, an uncustomized unit, as the EA released only a limited number of prototypes within the duration of the war opting instead to replace the Moebius Zero with the standardized Moebius.

"Well? Whaddaya think?" the grinning mechanic gestured towards the four machines.

"Nice. Very nice..." Mu gazed admiringly at the four mobile armors. Turning his attention towards the two uncustomized armors, the rookie pilot suddenly had an amusing thought.

"When do we get to try them?" Mu said with a large grin in his face. His buddy merely nodded in agreement, expressing his thoughts with a grin mirroring his counterpart.

Duke's smile soon turned to laughter, amused at the sheer enthusiasm eminating from the two new pilots. "You'll get yer chance soon, boys. But for now, y'all better run along 'un meet the capt'n."

Right on que, the ship began to issue launch preparations. The few people still in the hangar quickened their pace to go through last minute details. Before the duo could leave, they gave a few parting words with the aged mechanic.

"You're an okay fellow, Duke. It was nice to meet you." Wes said before shaking the mechanic's greasy hands.

"Yeah. Thanks for showing us the Zeros. We both appreciate it." Mu followed up, also shaking the old timer's hand.

"Heh, no problem." Duke gave both men a pat in the shoulder. Before the two pilots could get to the nearest lift, the portly mechanic gave the two rookies a piece of advice.

"Hey! If ya ever need a custom Zero, ya know who ta turn to!" Duke gave a rough salute before returning to his duties.

Mu merely gestured with a thumbs-up, before boarding the lift which his buddy held open for him.

Soon after, the entire fleet launched with Victoria spearheading the formation.

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"Identification please..." a female tech droned in monotone, obviously weary of the mechanical cycle that is her job. She took no notice of my prescence, prefering to turn her attention towards the monitor while inputting data of the various technicians transfered from da Gamma.

I merely obliged with her request, silently giving her an ID that ZAFT meticulously forged for this purpose. She gave a passing glance at the ID before muttering if I'm too old for this job already.

I didn't bother to react or reply. The supposed 'conversation' was just another part of her monotonous process just to, ironically, break the pace of said monotonuous process. As I expected, the woman dropped the subject and simply administered the next part of the procedure.

"Please put your thumb in this pad for a DNA sample. It'll sting a bit." she deadpanned.

I was already well aware of this procedure, as I did it quite a few times in other bases that I gathered info from. It was a method to root out any Coordinators by scanning for... alterations in the genetic make up. Of course, this process proved to be useless to me time and time again.

The tech silently mouthed the words 'natural' before approving the transfer and returning my ID. As I turned to leave, the woman finished the routine with a remark.

"Welcome to Endymion resource base."

I gave a imperceptible grin as I left. Another textbook, flawless infiltration.

**To be continued...**

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Well that wraps up the next chapter. Good thing I finished it on sem break. Wasn't much action here, and I initially planned the chapter to be longer. Oh well. 

You'll notice that a recurring theme of this fic gives a glimpse of the 'ZAFT Spy' in the final segment of the entire story. This is how I will always write the fic, unless of course stated otherwise.

Once again, C&C's are welcome, so submit a review and stuff...


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